This is what the Lord my God says: “Pasture the flock doomed to (A)slaughter. Those who buy them slaughter them and [a]go (B)unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for (C)I have become rich!’ And their (D)own shepherds have no compassion for them. For I will (E)no longer have compassion for the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord; “but behold, I will (F)let the people fall, each into another’s [b]power and into the [c]power of his king; and they will crush the land, and I will (G)not rescue them from their [d]power.”

So I (H)pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, [e]therefore also the (I)afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two (J)staffs: the one I called [f](K)Favor, and the other I called (L)Union; so I pastured the flock. Then I did away with the three shepherds in (M)one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also [g]was tired of me. Then I said, “I will not pasture you. What is to (N)die, [h]let it die, and what is to perish, [i]let it perish; and [j]let those who are left eat one another’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff [k](O)Favor and cut it in pieces, to [l](P)break my covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was [m]broken on that day, and [n]so the (Q)afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the Lord. 12 And I said to them, “If it is good in your sight, give me my (R)wages; but if not, [o]never mind!” So they weighed out (S)thirty shekels of silver as my wages. 13 Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (T)potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them.” So I took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the Lord. 14 Then I cut in pieces my second staff (U)Union, to (V)break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:5 Lit are not held guilty
  2. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  3. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  4. Zechariah 11:6 Lit hand
  5. Zechariah 11:7 Another reading is for the sheep dealers
  6. Zechariah 11:7 Or Pleasantness
  7. Zechariah 11:8 Or detested
  8. Zechariah 11:9 Or will die
  9. Zechariah 11:9 Or will perish
  10. Zechariah 11:9 Or those...will eat
  11. Zechariah 11:10 Or Pleasantness
  12. Zechariah 11:10 Or annul
  13. Zechariah 11:11 Or annulled
  14. Zechariah 11:11 Another reading is the sheep dealers who
  15. Zechariah 11:12 Lit cease

Prophecy of the Shepherds

Thus says the Lord my God, “Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and (A)feel no guilt; those who sell them (B)say, ‘Blessed be the Lord, for I am rich’; and their shepherds do (C)not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land,” says the Lord. “But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor’s hand and into the hand of his king. They shall [a]attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand.”

So I fed the flock for slaughter, [b]in particular (D)the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called [c]Beauty, and the other I called [d]Bonds; and I fed the flock. I [e]dismissed the three shepherds (E)in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, “I will not feed you. (F)Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.” 10 And I took my staff, [f]Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. 11 So it was broken on that day. Thus (G)the[g] poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. 12 Then I said to them, “If it is [h]agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.” So they (H)weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

13 And the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the (I)potter”—that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord for the potter. 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, [i]Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 11:6 Lit. strike
  2. Zechariah 11:7 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX for the Canaanites
  3. Zechariah 11:7 Or Grace
  4. Zechariah 11:7 Or Unity
  5. Zechariah 11:8 Or destroyed, lit. cut off
  6. Zechariah 11:10 Or Grace
  7. Zechariah 11:11 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX the Canaanites
  8. Zechariah 11:12 good in your sight
  9. Zechariah 11:14 Or Unity